Dredging Operation to Remove Sediment on the Upstream Edge of Copco Dam

On August 5th, 2023 I sent this email to Public Information Officer at KRRC asking for information before just putting pictures up WITHOUT the information..

Below is reader submitted photos sent to Siskiyou News August 4th, 2023

The crane is setup at Mallard Cove…

and that’s where that platform raft with the excavator was assembled…

Public FB Post: August 7th, 2023

Will Harling

rdponesoSth7M83Ag2iP1t26ucg7t8ha6137 gsa6uc4gu:mgu20 iti7  u  · 

I believe this is part of the dredging operation to remove sediment on the upstream edge of Copco 1 dam before the lower drain tunnel is completed and drawdown begins January 1, 2023. The dredged sediment will be discharged into a vertical tube with curtains down to the bottom of the reservoir to minimize turbidity. The drain hole they are making through the bottom of Copco 1 is impressive. 10 feet diameter horizontal tube through 160 feet of concrete reinforced with railroad tracks.

So if we sit around trolling facebook you will eventually see a post made on the 10th by Klamath River Renewal Corporation. On the 12th I discover a post about the very thing you were asking about! So here is the post from KRRC which I read about on the Yurok Tribes news feed.

Siskiyou News

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=613101834304181&set=a.431162312498135

Anyone who has visited the Copco Reservoir recently may have noticed two large vessels on the water. These are barges that will be used to prepare the upstream side of Copco No. 1 for drawdown. Barge 1 is currently moored at Mallard Cove, and Barge 2 is moored just upstream of Copco No. 1. These barges carry dredging equipment, which will be used to clear sediment that has built up behind the dam. This sediment needs to be cleared before initiating drawdown of the reservoir this coming January.

In the coming weeks, KRRC’s construction contractor will position Barge 1 and its suction dredge at the upstream face of Copco No. 1 dam. Sediment that has been deposited against the dam will be sucked up, and a slurry mixture of water and sediment will be pumped through a flexible pipe to Barge 2, approximately a half mile upstream from the dam. The slurry will be discharged at Barge 2, where it will settle inside a turbidity curtain that is suspended around that barge and extends to the bottom of the reservoir. This curtain will decrease turbidity during dredging activities, keeping the sediment from spreading throughout the reservoir.

Below is an image of Barge 2 moored upstream of Copco No. 1. The yellow stripe circling the barge is the top of the turbidity curtain.

• Siskiyou County Sheriff Brings Illegal Marijuana Industry Concerns to Capitol Hill
  Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue took his fight against illegal marijuana operations to Washington, D.C. this week, highlighting growing concerns about an industry that he says poses significant risks to public health and environmental safety. National Security Concerns During his address on Capitol Hill, LaRue emphasized that what was once considered a California-specific problem has… Read more: Siskiyou County Sheriff Brings Illegal Marijuana Industry Concerns to Capitol Hill
• The Great Annual Seed Sort
  Is it too early to start planning the spring garden? Absolutely not if you start your own seeds. Spring will be here before we know it and in preparation I have just completed my Great Annual Seed Sort. “What the heck is the Great Annual Seed Sort?”, you ask. I am so glad you asked!… Read more: The Great Annual Seed Sort
• Trump Unveils Sweeping Executive Actions in Second Inaugural Address
  “The impossible is what we do best,” — Donald J. Trump “The golden age has just begun.” In his second inaugural address, President Donald Trump announced an ambitious series of executive orders aimed at reshaping American policy on immigration, energy, and international relations. “The golden age of America begins right now,” Trump declared, outlining plans… Read more: Trump Unveils Sweeping Executive Actions in Second Inaugural Address
• California Globe: California’s Professional Political Class Caused the State’s Demise
  By Katy Grimes As California Governor Gavin Newsom makes the rounds on every available media outlet, on every podcast and media interview insisting that now is not the time to point fingers over the responsibility of the Pacific Palisades and Los Angeles fires, he is wrong – now is exactly the right time to ask… Read more: California Globe: California’s Professional Political Class Caused the State’s Demise
• Can Saving American Wild Horses Help Reduce The Loss of Life And Economic Losses By Preventing Wildfires & Toxic Smoke?
  The devastating grass and brush fueled wildfires in Los Angeles we are all witnessing may be just a glimpse of the upcoming summer in the western United States, unless we start doing something new and cost-effective. Funding and doing more of what hasn’t worked is a guarantee for failure. And as horrific as the LA fires are, the damages… Read more: Can Saving American Wild Horses Help Reduce The Loss of Life And Economic Losses By Preventing Wildfires & Toxic Smoke?